The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and his counterpart in the Ministry of the Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, will commission a Digital Nigeria Centre (DNC) project in Osun State to give concrete expression to the underpinning principles and fundamental philosophy of Nigeria’s emerging digital culture, particularly Item No. 2 of the eight pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030.
His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola, Governor of Osun State, is also anticipated to attend as a Special Guest of Honour.
The DNC, formerly known as the School Knowledge Centre (SNC), aims to improve ICT literacy among school teachers and students by providing a platform for accessing online educational resources, equipping students with ICT skills, facilitating ICT adoption in teaching and learning, and increasing pass rates in mathematics, English language, and other science subjects.
This project is located in the Ijesa Muslim Grammar School in Ilesa and is the first to be commissioned in Osun State since the project was renamed DNC.
The DNC has four parts, one of which is an ICT tool (made up of 40 desktop computers with embedded operating systems, server, printer, remote-controlled projector, high resolution scanner, and e-learning software). The Power Structure, which includes an inverter with charger, solar panels, batteries, and automatic switchover, is another component.
There’s also a connectivity component, which includes routers, switches, a firewall for network security, a modem, a fiber/microwave radio, or VSAT, and capacity for internet access. Finally, the furnishings, cabinet, cooling systems, and related equipment all have a non-ICT component.
The DNC is a project of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), a branch of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which was established under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 with the overarching goal of carrying out the Commission’s statutory mandate of expanding the frontiers of universal access and universal service by ensuring service provision to unserved and under-served areas of the Nigerian economy.
As mandated by NCA 2003, the USPF encourages the installation of network facilities and the provision of network services and applications services to institutions, particularly in unserved and underserved areas and for underserved groups within the community, in order to promote the widespread availability and use of network and application services throughout Nigeria.
Since inception in 2006, the USPF under NCC supervision and directive of the Honourable Minister, has implemented series of programmes and projects that promote ICT inclusion and adoption to mainstream accessibility to communication services for citizens and position Nigeria for global competitiveness in the emergent digital culture.
